Short- and long-term psychological status following stroke. Short form MMPI results

Indices of self-reported depression and psychological adjustment after stroke were evaluated using a short form of the MMPI. Patients with poststroke periods of 2 to 6 and 7 to 24 months were selected, and indices of general intellectual functioning and lesion size/location were obtained. Despite similar levels of intellectual functioning and lesion parameters, the longer duration group showed significantly higher depression scores and significant (T greater than 70) elevations on several other clinical scales of the MMPI. In contrast, the mean overall profile of the short-duration group was roughly within normal limits. These findings have implications for the clinical assessment and treatment of stroke patients and long-term psychological adjustment after stroke.